Refurbished Garmin Nuvi 680 GPS Review

The Garmin Nuvi 680 is a highly rated GPS navigation.  It has received stellar reviews from the people over at PCmag (4.5 out of 5 stars) and GPS Magazine (4 out of 5 stars) - and these are people who do this type of reviewing professionally. 

But the acclaim does not only come from the critics - the refurbished Garmin Nuvi 680 has also earned high marks from actual users as well.  According to 49 customer reviews on Amazon this device has nearly 4.5 stars, with over half of the ratings ranking it a 5 out of 5.

The device originally came out at the end of 2007, so it has had plenty of time to be tested by the masses.

If you are interested in hearing the bad about going with a refurbished Garmin Nuvi 680 GPS here it is, in plain and simple language, directly from a disgruntled user:

Bought a refurbished Nuvi 680 after reading positive reviews which indicated a free map update WAS INCLUDED with the purchase of a refurb unit. Free updates are not included and fact costs $70. For that price, and had I known this, I would have purchased a new unit. Additionally, and as noted by other reviewers, all cities are not serviced by MSN Direct. In my opinion, it's another feature you can't use. Also, the Travel Kit features are not included and must be purchased as an add on.

This is my first GPS, did lots of research on products and settled on the Nuvi 680. Now that I have it, I have to say it's a big rip. Bottom line: buy a new unit, not because the refurbs are not reliable but because the map updates are not included (and my unit last acquired a satellite in Feb., 2008) and updates are expensive.

Now, lets do a comparison between a "new" Garmin Nuvi 680 and its refurbished counterpart. If you notice up above and to the right there are listings for both the refurbished and new 680s.  If what this person said was true and it costs $70 to update the maps then all you do is you take the cost of the new unit and subtract $70 from it.  If the refurbished GPS is still cheaper than that number then you should go refurbished.

Also, if you don't really need the map updates then it is still way cheaper to go refurbished!

Now that we have gotten the bad review out of the way, let's look at one of the good reviews - again, from a real customer who bought the product:

This device offers voice directions, mp3 player, fm transmitter to your car radio and bluetooth connectivity to your cell phone for (practically)hands free operation. My phone book automatically loads into the Garmin for easy search and selection. There are many shops of all kinds listed in its vast memory. A slot for SD cards fill with MP3 music is easily accessed.

The gps does have a battery life but an enterprising individual could use a mini usb connector to a 5V source (4 AA alkaline batteries with a silicon diode in series) to run it as long as those batteries lasted. I do not see any drawbacks except paying a yearly fee of 19 dollars to msn for the weather, gas prices and traffic data. Did I mention the current movies are listed and it maps where to go to see them?

All in all, I am happy with this product.

The features of this refurbished GPS seem to be a big selling point for the author of this review, and rightfully so.  The Nuvi 680 is a full featured GPS that even allows you listen to MP3 loaded on the GPS through your car stereo!  All you have to do is set the Garmin to a certain FM radio frequency (one that isn't already in use in your city) and you can listen to your very own radio station.  This is really great from long road trips or getting a playlist together to keep your kids happy on a quick jump across town.

Modern GPS navigation devices are all about features, and with this unit you get plenty.

• Super-bright, sunlight-readable color screen
• 480 X 272 pixels screen
  
• Pre-loaded with complete Navteq Maps for North America
• 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions
• Accepts custom points of interest (POIs)
• Bluetooth wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker allows for hands-free calls

Buying a refurbished GPS is certainly not without its risks - but this can be said of electronic devices in general.  Refurbished items should definitely be considered if you are looking for a good way to save money and still treat yourself to a frivolous gadget.